


True Romance

by zebraljb



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Parenthood, happy ever after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:21:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23056162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: Eggsy tells Merlin and their daughters a bedtime story.
Relationships: Merlin/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69





	True Romance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eggsyobsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggsyobsessed/gifts).



> For the beautiful, talented, and sweet eggsyobsessed. Our talk of fairy tales today got me thinking...

“Good evening, lad.” Merlin gives Eggsy a long kiss as soon as he enters the kitchen. “I’m sorry I’m late. Work…Percival did nae arrive home on time and I had to check in on him.”

Eggsy smiles up at him from where he’s washing dishes at the sink. “Did he get home okay?”

“Aye, although he will probably have to go to the doctors tomorrow.”

Eggsy gives a meaningful look toward the table. If they gave medals for double-speak regarding their jobs, he and his husband would both be Olympic champions. “Glad to hear he’s home safe. And we’re glad you’re home safe, aren’t we, girls?”

“Is Mr. Percival sick?” A pair of big brown eyes widen. “I like Mr. Percival. He helped me train for my race at school. If he’s sick, maybe I should stay home and take care of him.”

“Nae, Elizabeth, ye will not stay home. I doubt Mr. Percival is in need of home care from an eight-year-old. But if ye get your homework done on time tomorrow, ye may call him.” Merlin wearily flops down in his chair.

“I think he’d like that,” Eggsy agrees. He dishes a bowl of soup for Merlin and puts it in the microwave.

“What are we having for dinner?” Merlin asks.

“Vegetable soup.” Their younger daughter wrinkles her nose in a way only a child can do. “I hate vegetable soup.”

“We don’t use the word hate, Penny,” Eggsy scolds.

“Okay.” She thinks for a minute. “I greatly dislike vegetable soup.”

Merlin and Eggsy burst out laughing. “See? I told you this would happen,” Eggsy says to his husband. “She’s a five-year-old with the vocabulary of a fifteen-year-old.”

“I’m almost six,” Penny reminds him. “In a fortnight.”

“Yes, Penny, we know.” Elizabeth rolls her eyes dramatically. “You tell us like every day.”

“Well, Papa and Daddy are old. They might forget.”

“And the sass is all because of you,” Merlin says to Eggsy, raising his eyebrows.

“Eat and be quiet.” Eggsy plunks the bowl down. “Girls, bowls to the sink and go brush your teeth.”

“Papa, can I show you my science homework while you eat? I tried it but I don’t understand it,” Elizabeth says.

Merlin looks at Eggsy. “She did work on it for over thirty minutes,” Eggsy informs him. “I told her to speak with you.”

“All right, lass. Go brush your teeth and gather your science things.”

“Thanks.” Brown braids fly as she hurries from the room.

“Papa, I have an ouch.” Penny carefully balances on one foot as she lifts her other leg. “On my knee. I fell at school.”

“I put a plaster on it AND kissed it,” Eggsy points out. 

“Yeah, but…”

“Let me see,” Merlin interrupts. He carefully rolls up her jeans leg. “That looks bad, but I can see Daddy’s magic all over it.”

“Daddy’s not magic!” She exclaims, bursting into giggles.

“I beg to differ,” Merlin says, but he bends down to kiss the pony plaster. “There ye go.”

“Thanks.” She darts out of the kitchen.

“Thank ye for heating this, lad…it’s very good.” Merlin holds out his empty bowl and Eggsy refills it, popping it back in the microwave.

“Is Percival really okay?”

“A sprained ankle, a few broken ribs. Nothing a few days in Medical won’t cure.”

“He’ll love that…he’s the only agent I know who prefers to lay down and rest in Medical.”

“Not everyone is a hyperactive brat like you.”

“You like when I’m hyperactive.”

Merlin pulls him over for a kiss. “In the bedroom, yes. In the field, not so much.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Eggsy says, kissing him again.

“Euw, gross, kissing,” Elizabeth says as she returns to the kitchen with her science book.

Her sister follows on her heels, carrying her coloring book and crayons. “Kissing isn’t gross. Belle kissed the Beast and he became the prince.” 

“That’s made up,” Elizabeth informs her. “Daddy and Papa aren’t a prince and a girl. They’re…Daddy and Papa.”

“What are ye studying?” Merlin interrupts before the spat grows into a fight. Eggsy grins and finishes cleaning up.

The evening ends as most school nights do, with a family show on the telly followed by preparations for bed. Eggsy hugs his girls close as soon as they’re dressed. He loves the feel of them clad in clean and soft pajama sets. He wishes he could freeze time, halt everything right this second. He looks at his girls, and his husband, and his heart actually swells in his throat.

“What shall we have tonight?” Merlin settles himself in the old rocking chair, an antique handed down from his grandmother. Every baby in his family has been rocked to sleep in that chair, and they’d used it many nights with their own girls. It now sits in a corner in Penny’s room, although Eggsy’s caught Elizabeth sitting and reading in it now and then.

“NO Beauty and the Beast, PLEASE, Papa,” Elizabeth begs. “How about something with monsters in it?”

“I don’t like your stupid monsters!” Penny yells.

“Penelope Anne, we dinnae raise our voices in the house,” Merlin reminds her. She crosses her arms and pouts. 

“And it’s Penny’s night to choose the story,” Eggsy reminds his other daughter.

“Why do we have to always have a fairy tale, anyway? They’re so fake,” Elizabeth says with disgust.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eggsy asks in surprise. Merlin frowns and Eggsy’s heart breaks a little. Merlin has always loved reading fairy tales to the girls before bed, choosing them before all other books. Eggsy had to promise blow jobs for a week just to introduce Dr. Seuss to their library.

“They’re all the same. Some boy meets some girl and saves her or something, and then they ride away. That doesn’t happen. I KNOW it doesn’t. Cinderella and Prince Charming? He probably made her clean. And I bet the Beast still acted like a beast and Belle probably got real mad…like Papa does when Daddy leaves his trainers by the door.”

Eggsy frowns as Merlin tries to keep a straight face. “I would nae say all fairy tales end badly, Elizabeth, but you’re right. In the old stories, the girl always needs saving. As ye know, we dinnae believe that is true. We believe lasses are able to take care of themselves, and maybe even save the prince now and then.”

“I like fairy tales,” Penny announces, actually climbing up onto Merlin’s lap.

“And I do, too, lass.” Merlin kisses the top of her blonde head.

“They’re not real,” Elizabeth pipes up. “No one keeps loving after the end.”

“How about a few chapters of The Jungle Book?” Eggsy suggests, wondering when his eight-year-old became an expert on relationships. “No princesses, no kissing.”

“I’m afraid of the snake,” Penny whispers.

“I like Kaa. He tricks everybody,” Elizabeth says.

“Yes, she is your daughter,” Merlin murmurs, and Eggsy flicks him behind the ear.

Later that evening Eggsy cuddles close to Merlin as soon as they climb into bed. “What’s this?” Merlin asks with a chuckle.

“Maybe I just like your body next to mine,” Eggsy says.

“I’m sorry, lad. I cannae…tonight I…”

“Hamish.” Eggsy kisses his chest, feeling the blush of shame cover the smooth skin. “I’m not asking for sex. Not tonight. I just like the feel of you around me.”

“Aye.” Merlin puts his arms around him. “I like that as well. I’m sorry I cannae make love to ye as I used to.”

“I think the vows went something like in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer…nothing about sex,” Eggsy says. “As long as you always love me and put up with me, I’ll take whatever you can give me whenever you can give it.”

“And that is why I proposed…because I knew ye would put up with me forever.”

“Happily ever after,” Eggsy says drowsily.

“Aye, although our daughter seems to find that idea pure bollocks,” Merlin says sadly. “Ah well, she’s bound to grow up sooner or later.”

“True,” Eggsy says, frowning as he falls asleep.

The idea of fairy tales and happily ever after stays on Eggsy’s mind all day, even during the Table meeting at work. Harry has to call his name twice after asking him a question, and once the meeting is adjourned he asks Eggsy to stay behind. “Everything all right, Galahad?”

“Yes, Arthur, sir. My apologies for my behavior. I just have…something on my mind.”

Arthur immediately disappears and Harry takes his place. “Is everything all right at home, dear boy?” 

“Oh, yeah, everything’s aces. Just planning something for Merlin, had it on my mind.”

“Good…but please try not to do your planning during my meetings?”

“Yes, Arthur.”

Merlin is home first this time and makes a delicious pot of spaghetti and meatballs. The girls manage to get through dinner without wearing it and Eggsy is thankful. Penelope is a tomato magnet, no matter what she’s eating or what she’s wearing or how close she sits to the table. It’s also bath night, thankfully, which means a lot of bubbles and squealing in the tub, and Eggsy ending up half-soaked even though he doesn’t really bath them any longer, just supervises the operation. 

“I must say bath nights are my favorite nights of the week,” Merlin says from where he’s reading on their bed. 

Eggsy makes a big show of peeling off his wet vest. He knows he’s in good shape. He also knows his husband is quite appreciative of it. “Is it now? I charge extra for the way you’re looking at me.”

“I would give ye every pound I have to continue feasting my eyes on your gorgeous body.” Merlin licks his lips and Eggsy grins. Going to be that kind of night, apparently. Aces.

“Story time.” Eggsy pulls on a hoodie and leads the way to Penny’s room. He drops into the chair before Merlin’s even down the hall.

“Daddy, what are you doing?” Elizabeth asks.

“I think I’ll tell the story tonight.”

“Okay,” Penny says as she goes to the bookcase.

“No, Penny, I don’t need a book.” Eggsy looks over his shoulder. “Papa, on Penny’s bed, please.”

“This is a nice surprise,” Merlin says with a grin. He sits on the bed and both girls immediately cuddle close.

“Once upon a time there was a handsome prince,” Eggsy begins.

“UGH!”

“Quiet, Elizabeth,” Merlin murmurs, raising his eyebrows as he looks at Eggsy.

“He lived in a poor part of town and his family didn’t have much money. The prince had a wicked stepfather who beat him and made him work hard but then took all his money. He wasn’t nice to the queen, or to the prince’s sister.”

“Eggsy,” Merlin whispers. “What are ye doing?”

Eggsy ignores him. “One day a handsome brave knight rides into the city and finds the prince. He knows the prince is poor and uneducated, but he realizes the prince is also brave and loyal and strong. He takes the prince to his castle and teaches him all the ways to become a knight.”

“I want to be a knight someday,” Penny announces. Merlin just squeezes her tight.

“The prince decides he wants to be a knight and nothing else, and he works very hard. The king of that castle dies and the first knight becomes their king, and the prince is very happy to work for him and go on exciting adventures. But the prince is lonely. He’s happy with his work, but he wants someone to love. He meets a princess, but she isn’t what he’s looking for. What he’s looking for is the handsome wizard who assists the king. He noticed how handsome the wizard is, how smart, how much he cares about the knights. He dreams and dreams about the wizard but the wizard never notices him.”

“But the wizard is magic, he should know!” Elizabeth blurts out.

“And then one day the wizard looks at him…just a look. A look that says love and caring and all sorts of warm things,” Eggsy says, his eyes never leaving Merlin’s face. “The prince realizes the wizard has been watching him all along, and that he felt the same way. And they finally talk about their feelings and fall in love.”

“I like it,” Penny says.

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Elizabeth adds.

“I’m not done,” Eggsy says. Merlin swallows hard. “The prince and the wizard get married and have a family. And sometimes they fight and sometimes they get angry and sometimes they leave their trainers by the door and sometimes they don’t go to doctor’s appointments.” Merlin blushes. “But their love just grows and grows until they can’t imagine life alone. They can’t imagine life without their husband…because every day they’re together is magic.” Eggsy swallows hard. “And not the wizard kind of magic, but the love kind. The kind that makes you wake up every day and smile because you know you have that person in your life. And the prince and the wizard most definitely lived happily ever after…with their magic love.”

“Yay!” The girls clap and bounce on the bed.

“Well, Eggsy,” Merlin starts, clearing his throat.

“More, Daddy!” Elizabeth begs.

“Not tonight. Into bed,” Eggsy says, turning his head away so he can wipe at his eyes.

Merlin slowly stands up and comes over to put his arms around him. “Ye forgot something, lad.”

“What’s that?”

Merlin smiles and cups Eggsy’s face in his hand. “True love’s kiss.”


End file.
